1.
Tell us about yourself as an educator and
artist.
2.
What is your preferred media of work?
I am a Fibers Artist. I identify with the forms, the textures, the
colors, and the joy those things called fibers bring to my soul – natural,
industrial, manmade.
3. We were all quite impressed with Raga Mutton. I know you have also done another similar to this. Would like to know what inspired you to pick this theme. Tell us what inspired you and how you developed this sculpture.
Masks are rather common wall ornaments today. And I enjoy hanging masks into odd nooks and corners around my house, just as many who collect my works do. My Animal masks were originally created as expressive responses to historical images and concepts, some that were masks and some that were cultural imagery and non-mask artifacts.
The first mask I remember making outside of an art classroom or workshop was for a “MASK” exhibit in the Kipp Gallery at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (1986). The Gallery director called me the year before and requested I make a mask for an invitational exhibit using some of my “weird” materials (This was my first wet-felted mask). I was thrilled that he hung my Dragon Mask in the entry to the exhibit.
I began to create sheep masks after I
retired and became a partner in an art gallery in Eagles Mere, PA. I collect sheep sculptures, and thought I’d
make some sheep masks for sale. Each
mask is based on real sheep breeds and represents some kind of social
statement. I usually create my sheep
masks in pairs (male and female). The
first two, Muzzy Lar and Curly Lar, were conceived as Greek Household Gods, and
in my mind, their purpose was to remove confusion from the environment
(tongue-in-cheek).
Raga Mutton and his partner, Miss Fancy Pants Raga Mutton were created for an annual recycled materials exhibit that I sometimes jury and sometimes enter (NOTE: much of my artwork includes repurposed materials so that those materials do not end up in landfills). Raga Mutton was woven (tabby weave and rya knots) with wool yarns, strips of recycled denim cloth from old shirts, and waxed linen thread over a wire armature. Recycled wooden buttons are anchored into the weaving for the eyes.
Raga Mutton (male) Miss Fancy Pants Raga Mutton (female)
NOTES: Recycled materials:
- when I clean out my closets, I save some of the clothing for the cloth, influenced by color/texture/pattern.
- Sheep wool is sustainable product & in an abstract way, a recycled material
- lar (noun): Household god (the benevolent gods in an ancient Roman household)
4.
What is the best artist advice you have been given?
FIRST: The job of each human being is to continuously grow and mature - never finished, always learning and always becoming the individual – not becoming “like” others, but becoming the individual that is “me”. My job is to be true to myself and set goals appropriate to myself and to earnestly work toward those goals while building on strengths and developing areas needed to complement the strengths. That’s what humans do, and that’s what humans who are artists do, too.
SECOND: The best way to learn something
is to teach it to someone else. And
experimentation with the concepts gives a deeper understanding of a concept so
that it can be shared with someone else – either through personal work or
helping others to respond in their own ways to the ideas presented……
5. Do you have anything else you want to add?
Educators show up in classrooms bringing all of their knowledge, skills, ideas and interests with them. Via the DKG Fine Arts Gallery, DKG recognizes multiple strengths of well-rounded individuals and their talents. Thank you!
We invite
you to view the Art Gallery, click here.
Keep
the conversation going, please use the comment section below to suggest new
topics, ask questions, or give us your input.
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